Paul Watson’s notes on ongoing artwork, giving an insight into the creative process.
Sometime towards the end of March Justin Hopper, author of The Old Weird Albion, asked me if I’d like to participate in some way with him and renowned folk musician Sharron Kraus in a ritualistic thing we’re going to do at Chanctonbury just after the Morris Men dance at sunrise. Unfortunately…
Read the rest of “Welcoming The May, Chanctonbury Ring, 2018”…
Yesterday I posed a question on Twitter as a short thread that I’ll reformat here for easy reading: I’m trying to put together a vague explanation for the increased use—by artists (such as myself), writers, musicians, filmmakers, etc—of a particular view of Britain that is simultaneously…
Read the rest of “Notes on re-enchantment as resistance in Deep England”…
Note: An extended version of this blog post is available in my book of artwork England’s Dark Dreaming, available to order from our online shop. On some days, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, it is said that you can glimpse the mythical land of Deep England, particularly if…
As the new year approaches I decided it was time to review the rates I pay life models again. I try to review these rates on a regular basis because It’s the right thing to do, Life models are hard-working and valued collaborators in my artistic practice and their pay should reflect that…
In which I make some initial notes looking into the Gothic mode in my England’s Dark Dreaming series of drawings. About the word “Gothic” I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s clad in black (and the occasional paisley shirt) and listening to the Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Bauhaus,…
Read the rest of “The Gothic Mode in England’s Dark Dreaming”…
Prompted by some several discussions on Twitter (particularly one thread from author Adrian Bott) prompted by yet another article about Folk Horror films I wanted to set out some thoughts about Folk Horror. From the beginning I think it’s worth emphasising the fact that I don’t see myself…
Shortly before Christmas David Southwell (he of Hookland Guide fame) and I met up for a few festive beers in London. We spoke about many things, but one topic that has been buzzing around my head since is about nomenclature for the creative things we are both working on. We’d previously…
Read the rest of “Re-enchantment, Metaphoric Density, and Deep Myth”…
When I come to the end of a year it never feels like I’ve got anywhere as much work done as I wanted to. This year has been much the same. I know the year has been dominated by politics, particularly the rise of the far-right in the UK, Europe, and the US, supported by Useful Idiots (by…
I’ve now finished the first 5 of my England’s Dark Dreaming series of drawings. I wish I could show you them at their full size—one metre high—rather than the relatively small digital photographs of them, because the physical scale of a piece of artwork affects your reaction to it. Having…
I'm increasingly convinced that the country is temporally fractured, and we should be expecting a visit from Sapphire & Steel any time now. Everything seems to operate on skewed oneiric logic. Everyone is reduced to ill-disguised cyphers, woodenly acting roles and reciting lines. The series of…